This invention relates generally to the field of devices for disabled persons, and more particularly to a chair lift for stairs.
People who have a physical disability that makes it impossible to walk up a flight of stairs have had very few choices as to how to be transported from one floor to another. They can be carried by another person. If the stairs in question is in a commercial establishment, a person in a wheel chair can be transported in an elevator. In a private dwelling some people go to the expense of installing an electric powered chair lift that consists of a rail transport mounted to one wall and a corresponding chair that mounts to the rail. A linear translation device within the rail causes a slide bar that is mounted to the chair to rise or lower. These chair lifts cost approximately eight thousand dollars and of course are relatively permanent installations.
One might try to pull a person up a stairs while that person is in a wheel chair, however doing so causes the disabled person to bumb uncomfortably from one stair tread to the next.
While the above mentioned solutions provide some ways of transporting a disabled person up and down a flight of stairs, they do not adequately address certain situations. For example, if a disabled person is visiting a private residence and needs to reach the second story. Or, the person in question does not have the resources to purchase an eight thousand dollar stair climber, or if the person in question is temporarily disabled and needs a temporary solution for getting up and down a flight of stairs.
The primary object of the invention is to provide a device that helps a disabled person to be effortlessly lifted up a flight of stairs while in a sitting position.
Another object of the invention is to provide a person lifting device that is relatively light weight and can be collapsed for easy transport.
Another object of the invention is to provide a person lifting device that is relatively inexpensive.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.
A chair lift for stairs comprising: a light weight metal chair frame mounted to a pair of metal slidable sled rails, said chair frame supporting a fabric seat and back, a set of wheels mounted to the base of said rails, a calf retaining sling mounted below said chair frame, an electric winch type mechanism and associated power supply mounted between said sled rails, said winch mechanism having a pulling cable located near the center line of said chair frame, said chair frame also having a manual pull strap attached to the top cross rail of said chair frame, said chair frame being collapsible for easy transport, and said chair frame also includes a retractable third wheel that can be deployed at the bottom rear center of said chair so that said chair can act as an emergency wheel chair.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.